YouTrustOneAndNotTheOther

From IMiA

As the sun sets on her last evening at sea before the dropoff, Juliana finds Rod on the deck of the Richard_Dwyer. She's got a wide brim straw hat on, tied securely against the wind with a red ribbon. It's keeping the sun off her face, but her shoulders have are pink from exposure. Her red blouse is made of something light from out-shadow. It's sleeveless and train that is acting like a skirt behind her matching black shorts. The sandals are red - as are her toenails. She's left the jewelry at home or put it away. Without the expensive clothes she might be a country girl in that hat, though.

She looks out at the pinks of the sunset and sighs.  Then she looks up and meets Rod's eyes. 
 
"I need to know I can trust you, if you're walking in with me, to put aside your patron and act as Oberon's agent.  Oberon is *still* the crown."

Rod nods, his eyes flashing. "Oberon is Amber, was Amber before my ancestors were Diaz, and likely will be Amber long after our grandchildren debate which Prince is the rightful successor. Unless... Unless the unthinkable that we all dwell on occurs. Do you not imagine that older houses considered similar questions regarding Princes now long dead? Prince Osric's friends vied with Prince Corwin's. It is the relationship we have with them. Are you, then putting aside your friend and acting solely as Oberon's agent? There is nothing for the Prince, the Duke, or the Duchess in your goals or methods? You would not trust me if I glibly reassured you, and you would be correct. We all operate on many levels, and the difference between a Count and a Duke and a Prince may be, in this matter, little more than scope of vision.

He looks over the rail.  "I am convinced that for me the interests are aligned."  He smiles.  "Would it not prosper Amber were her Princes compete to see who can best serve her interests?  What more could a city of traders want than competing bids?"

"Spoken like a true Merchant Prince, my Lord. Would Amber not prosper more with a stong leader with strong support? I mislike the situation in Amber as it stands today. I believe competetion suits the market but not the monarchy. I believe 'we' are in trouble, and Oberon is our best hope, and he would be best pleased, on his return, if business had continued to be conducted in his manner during his absence."

Juliana looks out to sea again, squinting against the sunlight.

"That is what suits my House, and I believe that is what would best suit my Prince." She shrugs, having obviously decided to speak frankly. "Yours may feel otherwise, and with good reason."

"Personally, I only stand to gain work from this, which for me is reward enough in itself. I plan to wear Oberon's colors and speak what I believe would be Oberon's mind on this issue. We could be wrong. He may not like a woman on a throne so close to Amber, but he's sent me to deal with Queens before. His eldest two sons in residence made a cooperative decision for it to be this way. I trust the one and not the other. You trust the one and not the other."

Juliana turns to lean against the rail, putting her back to the sunset, and looking up at Rod.  "I will not make a move to turn this crisis to Eric's advantage, if you will not make a move - more than those that have already been made - to turn it to Bleys's."

"I cannot but speak other than as I am, your Grace. None of us can. I have already assured you that Prince Bleys' interests, mine, and the crown's are aligned. I would serve neither Bleys nor Oberon nor myself well to do aught but work to achieve the goal of this diplomatic mission. It is my hope that we can show through this that closer cooperation is to the advantage of Amber. In short, Prince Bleys looks to increase the chances of success of this effort by sending me. I have, I hope, useful talents and some ability to help the Gaigans work to consensus, or at least acceptance of the King's position. Perhaps a united front from Amber will give them pause where a partisan visit would not."

"We are on the same side of this. Amber's side is also Eric's side. Amber's side is also Bleys' side. Frankly, I do not see what advantage His Highness could achieve by disrupting the royal plans."

"I'm not worried about disruption, I'm worried about presentation," she says honestly.

"I am here as an agent of the crown. I cannot help it if people know that I am an associate of the Prince, any more than you can."

He smiles.  "You know as well as I do that they will tell it however it most amuses them back in Amber no matter what we say.  That I am a loyal and true subject who has put my life and honor to the test when Amber has called any number of times will be paramount to some and utterly denied by others.  We are in some ways, no more than hangars for our clothes, moving for the benefit of being seen.  

"And yet, I will do the right thing because it is right and I am me."

She looks at him hard a moment. "Alright. You know my back is up because no one told me? Tony, he knows better. Eric, he knows better. So I can only assume Bleys felt if your name was brought to light in an official capacity to my side of the world forces would have conspired against your being here. He could have at least sent a bloody note." She starts taking her hat off in aggitation.

He nods, gravely. "Surely someone has done you a disservice, Your Grace, by not informing you of my attachment to this endeavor. If it was one of my friends, I will have choice words to say to him."

For whatever reason, that makes her smile. "Just make sure the choice doesn't include uppity bitch." She shakes her head, still grinning. "Do you think we can drop the Your Graces and the My Lords now?" She pulls the hat off and tosses her head to loosen her hair.

• _GM Clarification Please_*

[FYI: Rod thinks Eric knew, but we should run that past Kit...]

"We can. Are we partners in achieving the King's goals, then, Juliana?"

"We are," she smiles, and visibly relaxes. She grips the hat and the rail in one hand and holds out the other.

Rod reaches out and takes her hand, grasping it firmly. "We have always achieved more by colluding than by opposing each other."

Juliana shakes Rods hand. He makes no move to pull away, but she does gently slide her hand out of his, even if it's a slightly longer touch than it should have been.

Rod lets the sea breeze blow on them for a moment, and then changes the subject.  "What of our young Commodore?"

"Sean can be counted on entirely, I believe, as long as no ghosts show up to possess him."

"He is the stuff that legends are made of, or so I have heard. I am not sure making legends is a desirable part of our mission. Is he seasoned enough to be useful in planning, or should we assume that we must carry Amber's efforts ourselves?"

"My experience with O'Donovan has been a military one, which is to say, he has left the diplomacy to the rest of us and provided transportation and security. I fear..." she tilts her head and smiles, "I fear that he may be a little too honest for diplomacy - especially when we're working with a King who is empathic. Did they warn you he was empathic - or did I tell you that already?" She starts to furrow her forehead in thought but stops herself. She switches hands holding the hat and shifts her balance against the rail.

Ongoing.

-- Main.LizTrumitch - 23 Sep 2005